“That’s right,” Caroline agreed triumphantly. “It is my life. And for the first time in ages, I feel like things might be getting better.”
The next morning, after a light breakfast and a vigorous walk on the beach, they sent Caroline home with her newly styled haircut and armed with magazine pictures of clothing styles that might flatter her bulky figure. Allison even found an advertisement for glasses that were almost identical to the ones she had described last night. All in all, it seemed like their time was well spent, and Allison was in good spirits as she joined her father for their Saturday morning flight.
Allison told him all about their time with Caroline as they flew south along the coastline. “It was so great to see Caroline happy, Dad. I guess I sort of forgot that her brother is still missing. Her parents think he’s in a camp in Siberia. I know that must be dreadful. I’ll never forget how awful I felt when my daddy was off in the big war. And that was when I was too young to understand just how horrible war really is.”
“I hope you never understand how horrible war really is, Allison. It’s something that no one should have to experience. I feel for Caroline and her family.” He sadly shook his head, then turned the plane back toward the direction of the airport. He let Allison take the stick for a few minutes.
“I bet we’re not too far from where Andrew’s ball game is tonight,” Allison said. “Isn’t Trenton down there? It’s too bad we couldn’t fly down.”
“Yes, we’re almost over it now. Maybe we’ll get to fly to his games sometime. But not at night—not yet, anyway. I’m still working on getting my instrument rating, and judging by that fog bank rolling in from the ocean, it wouldn’t hurt if I had it now. I better take the stick back and get us safely down on the ground as quickly as possible.”
“What does that mean—instrument rating?”
“See all these dials and instruments?” James motioned to the crowded dashboard panel. “If you know how to read them all, as well as maps, you can actually fly under conditions when visibility is poor or even nonexistent. I know quite a bit already, but I haven’t gotten my certification yet. I’ll have to study up and eventually take another test. It would be foolish for me to think I could fly commercially along the Oregon coast without it.”
Allison looked out at the gray blanket of fog in the distance as James increased their air speed. It seemed like they had plenty of time, but she admired her father’s healthy respect for the weather elements.
“What would you do if the fog covered the ground before you could get back to the airport, Dad?”
“I’d have to radio Mac for some other suggestions for landing places. He’d probably direct us inland to Grover or Harrison—they don’t usually get this ocean fog there. Then we’d have to land and wait for it to clear up over here. That reminds me, you’ll have to start learning to operate the radio, Allison.”
“That’d be great. Then I might be able to help Mac in the office sometimes.”
“That’s right. After all, this is going to be a family operation.”
“You sound fairly certain, Dad.”
He nodded as he began lining the plane up to land on the strip below. “I spoke to Hal this morning. It’s looking real good, Allison. Real good.”
James landed the plane perfectly on the runway, but by the time he taxied to the hangar, the fog was socking them in.
“Cutting it close, James,” Mac said as he helped roll the small plane alongside the hangar. “But I have to admit that fog came out of nowhere.”
“Life on the coast,” James said. He looked up as the sun was completely swallowed by the fog. “I’ve got to get my instrument rating. The sooner the better, too, if we’re going to get this business off and running.”
“You just say the time and the place, boss,” said Mac with a grin. “Got time for a cup of coffee? It’ll just take me a minute to get a pot going.”
“Wish I did, Mac. But Andrew has a football game in Trenton tonight, and we need to get going in the next hour if we want to see the kick off.”
“Tell Andrew to give ‘em what for!” Mac hollered after them.
Once again, Muriel had a bulging picnic basket all packed and ready to take in the car. “That cocoa is very hot,” she warned. “It’s for you to take into the stadium, and I don’t want you to burn yourselves with it.”
“Sure you wouldn’t like to come, too?” James teased. Muriel had already made it clear that she thought it was plum craziness to drive four hours in one evening going to and coming from a football game.
“You children go and enjoy yourselves. Just make sure you drive carefully, Jamie,” she warned as if he were still in high school. “As for me, I’ll watch Andrew when he plays on the home field. That’s plenty of excitement for an old thing like me!”
They arrived in time for kick off, and Heather and Allison decided to sit with their family this time. It was a cold, windy night, and they all bundled up together under blankets. They shared the Thermos of Muriel’s hot cocoa along with some freshly made sugar cookies as they watched the first half of the game.
Allison spotted Shirley Jenson sitting with her new group of friends. She was still relieved that Shirley was making a life of her own that didn’t include her, but during half time, Shirley clumped up the bleachers toward them. Allison stared at her in surprise. Shirley hadn’t spoken to her in days—what could she possibly have to say to them tonight?
“Hi, Mr. O’Brian,” Shirley said, not bothering to greet the rest of them.
“Hello, Shirley,” James greeted with a slightly puzzled expression.
“Did you fly down here tonight, Mr. O’Brian?” she asked in a sassy tone.
James forced a laugh, but Allison could see the color climbing up his neck and into his cheeks. “No, wedrove, Shirley.” His voice was tight now, and Allison could hear the warning in it.
Suddenly, Allison realized that it was entirely possible that Shirley had eavesdropped on his conversation with Mr. Jenson that morning! And if so, Shirley was fully aware that he had asked Mr. Jenson to keep his plans for the airport a secret until he had a chance to speak to Grace. Allison glanced quickly at Grace. She was pouring a cup of steaming cocoa for Winston and not paying much attention to Shirley.
“Well,” Shirley announced loudly, as if she were making some sort of formal statement for the whole stadium to hear. “I just thought that since you’re purchasing that old rundown airport and all, you might have flown one of those flimsy little planes down here. But I guess I was wrong.”
By now she had Grace’s full attention. Allison watched in horror as Grace looked with wide eyes from Shirley to James.
Shirley smiled smugly. “Well, it looks like it’s almost time for the game to begin. Happy flying, Mr. O’Brian.”
James’ eyes dropped down, and Allison could see his knuckles turning white on his tightly clenched fists. She wanted to march right down and punch Shirley Jenson in the nose.
“Is it true?” Winston exclaimed with excitement, completely unaware of the drama that was about to unfold. “Are you really buying an airport, Mr. O’Brian?”
“Well, I . . . uh . . . I have been looking into it—” The color that had climbed into his face was now slowly draining. He was almost white now.
“Really?” said Heather. “How exciting.”
James looked at Grace with a pitiful expression, and Allison felt her heart breaking for him. “I was going to tell you, Grace,” he began. “I really was. . . .”
“When?” was all she said.
“I’ve been trying to make a time. It hasn’t been easy—”
“The game is starting, James,” said Grace curtly. “We can discuss this later.”
Port View lost the game by six points, and the drive back home was the longest two hours that Allison could ever remember. Winston and Heather both fell asleep in the back, but Allison, sitting between them, was wide awake. She leaned back against the seat with her eyes closed, hoping that Grace and he
r father would think she was asleep and feel comfortable talking if they needed to. But not a single word was spoken.
Please, Grace, Allison thought. Please forgive him—please support him in this.
Grace was silent all the way home. When James dropped them off, Allison knew it was too late for them to discuss it. At least for tonight.
“See you at church tomorrow,” he said with some uncertainty.
“Good night, James,” Grace answered in a formal tone. “Thank you for taking us to Andrew’s game.”
James turned the car around and headed for home while Allison searched for the right words. “Dad,” she began slowly as he pulled into the garage. “I think Grace is in shock tonight. She probably just needs to sleep on it, but I’m sure she’ll want to talk about it in the morning.”
“I hope so, Allison. I hope I haven’t ruined everything.”
“Dad, if Grace truly loves you, she’ll stand by you. I know she will. And if she doesn’t . . . well, then, you’ll cross that bridge when you get there, right? Besides, you know that I’ll always be here for you, Dad.”
He turned and smiled at her. “Thanks, Allison, but I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her.”
“Everything’s going to be fine, Dad. I just know it. You’ll see.”
Grace didn’t speak to James for almost two weeks, and Allison felt horribly sad and guilty about it. James seemed to slink around the house like a kicked dog. At the end of the first week, he told Allison that perhaps they should put the brakes on the whole airport thing, except that he hated to disappoint Mac. But then she reminded him that this had been his dream, and how she still felt sure that Grace would eventually come around. But by the middle of the second week, Grace had not come around, and now Allison was losing her patience.
“Why can’t Grace understand?” Allison said to Heather at lunch one day.
“She’s terribly hurt,” Heather explained for the umpteenth time.
“Well, so is Dad.”
“People can act strangely when they are hurting,” Caroline said quietly.
Allison turned to look at Caroline. Lately she had been seeing Caroline with new eyes. Not just because of Caroline’s improved appearance, but because Caroline was starting to act differently, too. Her confidence was increasing, and she had become more thoughtful.
“I suppose you’re right, Caroline,” Allison said as she poked at her mushy green beans. “I know what it’s like to be hurt.”
“Maybe you can help them,” Caroline suggested. “Maybe you can get them together somehow.”
Allison considered this. Was it worth it? What if it turned into World War III?
“It’s Andrew’s birthday on Sunday,” Heather announced with a spark of enthusiasm. “Maybe we could have a party for him and invite you and your dad.”
“No,” Allison said glumly. “That might just irritate Grace even more. Besides, if your house was full of people, there would be no place for them to be alone and to talk.” Allison thought for a moment. “But . . . how about if we had a party for Andrew at my house? I know Muriel would love to do it. And how could Grace say no to a party for Andrew when she doesn’t even have to host it? Our house has tons of room, and we could fix it up so Grace and my dad would have to be alone at some point.”
“Perfect,” Heather said.
“I bet it will work,” Caroline added optimistically.
“And you must come, too, Caroline.”
Caroline’s cheeks flushed. “Oh no, not me. I couldn’t. I would be too embarrassed.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Allison said. “We’ll invite some of Andrew’s other friends, too. There will be a crowd so you won’t feel conspicuous.”
“Are you sure, Allison?” Heather asked. “That sounds like a lot of work for Muriel—”
“Muriel will be in her element,” she grinned. “Just you wait.”
By Sunday afternoon everything was set. As Allison had expected, Muriel had come through with flying colors. She fully understood that this was more than just a regular birthday party. She had been as worried about Grace and James as the kids were. Naturally, Allison didn’t explain to her father about their mixed motive for the party, but when it came time to dress, she suggested that he wear his dark tweed jacket. She had heard Grace say how handsome he looked in it.
The party was to be a surprise for Andrew, so Heather and Winston had come home with Allison after church, supposedly to go crabbing. Allison felt a little bad when she saw Andrew’s disappointment not to be invited, as well, but Grace had jumped in and said that she needed him to help her mend the porch steps.
By two o’clock all the guests were present and accounted for, and ten minutes later, Grace and Andrew stopped by, supposedly to pick up Heather and Winston. Instead, they were met by wild shouts, party poppers, and horn blowing, along with streamers and confetti. It was great! Andrew’s face showed his complete surprise.
“I can’t believe this!” he exclaimed. “I had absolutely no idea.” He winked at Allison. “I’ll bet you were behind this.”
Allison threw her arm around Heather and grinned. “Just don’t forget my partner in crime here.”
“You two,” Andrew said.
With good food, good friends, and good music, the party quickly took on a life of its own. After a while, Allison tapped Andrew on the shoulder and asked him to meet her in the kitchen for a couple minutes.
“What’s up, Al?” he asked as he plucked a piece of sliced ham off a platter that Muriel was getting ready to take out.
“I need your help,” she said quietly. “You see, we hoped to use this time to get my dad and Grace together to talk—alone.”
Andrew nodded wisely. “I see. So this wasn’t just about my birthday.”
She punched him in the arm. “Of course it’s about your birthday, but can you blame us for trying to kill two birds with one stone?”
“I’m teasing, Allison. I think it’s a great idea. What can I do? I want them back together as much as you.”
“Okay. This is the plan . . . unless you have a better one. You find Grace and tell her that you need to talk to her in the library. Act like something is wrong. Tell her you’ll meet her there in a couple minutes. I’ll do the same to Dad, just long enough afterward so that he’ll find her already in the library.”
“Are you always so devious, Allison?”
“Actually, I’ve been known to be, but I am trying to mend my wicked ways.”
Andrew grinned. “Good girl. Now, we better synchronize our watches.”
They returned to the party, and Allison watched with amusement as Andrew spoke to Grace with serious eyes while she made her way over to her dad. So far so good. After that, Allison went to meet Andrew in the hallway behind the stairs. She took his birthday present with her, since she didn’t want him to open it in front of the others. The pen and pencil set had seemed like the perfect gift at the time, but now she wondered if having it engraved with his name would appear too personal. While they waited silently behind the stairs, she handed him the slim box with a meek smile. He opened it, and she kept watch on the door to the library. Just then Grace walked into the den.
“Thank you, Allison,” he whispered. “This is very nice.”
“You’re welcome,” she whispered back, then turned at the sound of more footsteps. It was James this time, and he was also heading for the library. Allison held her breath. Would their plan work, or would one of them get wise and come out? After several suspenseful minutes, Allison began to relax a little.
“Well,” said Andrew quietly, “I guess it’s up to them now.”
Allison nodded. “If it’s meant to be . . .” she began, but when she gazed into Andrew’s green eyes, she forgot what she was about to say. Suddenly, her heart beat wildly, and she grew aware of how close they were standing, hunkered there behind the stairs. She felt certain that Andrew could hear her heart pounding.
“This was really great of you, Allison,” Andre
w said. “To set all this up, I mean. I want you to know how much I appreciate it.”
“I was more than happy to do it,” Allison said softly. “Even if Dad and Grace had been getting along just fine, I still would have wanted to give a party for you.”
Andrew smiled down at her. “You’re a great kid, Allison.”
Allison felt her heart drop. When would Andrew see her as a person instead of just his kid sister’s friend? “I suppose we should join the others now,” she quickly said, hoping to move past the awkward moment.
“You’re probably right. You never know when they might start to miss the hostess and the guest of honor.”
While Allison poured herself a glass of punch, Janet came up and put an arm around her shoulders.
“This was a great idea, Allison,” she said, then she winked. “And I saw you and Andrew slip out to meet each other.”
Allison’s cheeks grew hot. “It wasn’t anything like that—”
Janet cut her off. “It’s all right, Allison. We all know that you and Andrew have something going. Don’t be such a baby about it.”
Allison just shook her head. Forcing a laugh, she said good-naturedly, “Well, Janet, if that’s what you want to think, go ahead and be my guest. Imagine away!”
Allison went over to where Heather was sitting with Curt attentively at her side. Allison put her hand on Heather’s arm. “Everything seems to be A-OK so far,” she said. It was their code for the James and Grace situation.
“Perfect,” Heather said with a bright smile.
James and Grace didn’t reappear at the party for almost an hour, and then just in time to light the candles on the cake and sing the birthday song. Grace’s eyes were red as if she’d been crying, but they were both smiling now. Allison desperately hoped that it had gone well. They could be smiling for Andrew’s sake. She shot up another silent prayer on their behalf.
After a while the party died down, and finally the last of the guests said good-bye. It was already dark outside. Allison shivered as she closed the door against the cold, misty evening air.
Allison O'Brian on Her Own, Volume 2 Page 16